Recycling and Circular Economy Approaches in Technical Textiles: A Review

Abstract

The technical textile industry could be good for both Pakistan's economy and the environment. Pakistan's textile industry could benefit greatly from adopting circular economy strategies as recycling rates are below 1% and global textile production is expected to reach 149 million tons by 2030. This review analyzes technical textile recycling methodologies, drawing on peer reviewed research from Google Scholar, Nature Communications, Environmental Science & Technology as well as reports from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The textile industry in Pakistan is responsible for 60% of all exports and 8.5% of the country's GDP. However, it also produces more than 2 million tons of textile waste each year. The technical textiles industry can assist the circular economy in such areas as industrial fabrics, automotive textiles, medical textiles and geotextiles. Establishing recycling facilities would lead to the creation of 100,000 additional indirect employment opportunities and 50,000-75,000 direct employment opportunities in the collection, sorting, and processing. Economic benefits would contribute 0.5 to 1 per cent to the GDP of Pakistan by rendering exports competitive and creation of new industrial value chains. Scientists have discovered that the polyester content, and cotton recycling through alkaline hydrolysis and glycolysis can recover 85 to 95 percent of the polyester and cotton in mixed garments. In Pakistan, they tend to make stuff using these fabrics. There are still important gaps in research such as standards for the performance of recycled materials, cost effective ways to separate materials in South Asian settings and rules for dealing with contamination in local conditions. Teaching people how to use technology and training them are two very important things that make things happen. Laws about Extended Producer Responsibility, using blockchain and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to keep track of things digitally and public private partnerships to pay for infrastructure are all important policy changes. Using circular models in Pakistan's technical textile industry can create a lot of jobs and make the country a regional leader in textile sustainability innovation. This will also be good for the environment. Pakistani universities, international organizations, and business stakeholders can work together to speed up the use of technology.

Keywords: Technical Textiles, Circular Economy, Textile Recycling, Chemical Recycling, Mechanical Recycling, Pakistan Textile Industry, Sustainable Manufacturing